


The Goodbye

by theflyingdalek



Category: Skyfall (2012) - Fandom
Genre: 00Q - Freeform, Established Relationship, M/M, Retirement, bond is retiring, eek!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-26
Updated: 2013-02-26
Packaged: 2017-12-03 17:27:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/700824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theflyingdalek/pseuds/theflyingdalek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"We have <i>had </i> this conversation before, James! You're going, and that's final," Q huffed.</p><p>James was, of course still tangled up in the sheets, not dressed yet. </p><p>"We're already behind schedule, so you better get up and into that shower," Q tutted.</p><p>"There's no point in me going. Isn't the point of retiring that you <i>don't</i> have to go back to work?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Fic for anon request (through tumblr) for a retirement fic.

Q had woken early to cook breakfast for the important day. Important days in James Bond's life tended to include explosions before the day was though, and it was important to have a nice, large breakfast. 

"I'm not going," James shouted back, voice muffled by the closed door.

 _Hell no_.

Q slid the last pancake onto the waiting plate and marched down the hallway, wrenching the bedroom door open.

"We have _had_ this conversation before, James! You're going, and that's final," Q huffed.

James was, of course still tangled up in the sheets, not dressed yet. 

Q glanced at the clock on the nightstand. 6:40 AM.

"We're already behind schedule, so you better get up and into that shower," Q tutted.

"There's no point in me going. Isn't the point of retiring that you _don't_ have to go back to work?"

"This is _tradition_ , James. Moneypenny will have my head if you don't come," Q whined.

James Bond sat up and kissed Q lazily.

"Well, I better go then I would be remiss if I didn't prevent you from being brutally slaughtered by a secretary's razor sharp heels," Bond drawled.

"Shut up. You're afraid of Moneypenny too," Q argued.

"She's a very intimidating woman. Have I told you the story where she almost killed me?" 

Q glared.

"Go brush your teeth and shower. Breakfast is getting cold."  
 


	2. Chapter 2

To tell the truth, if it wasn't for Q, Bond would not be going into work today. As he said, when he turned his resignation letter into M after many long years of work in the business, he was both surprised that he had lived long enough to make it to this point and so completely mentally done with all of MI6's bullshit.

But of course, Q had insisted that he come in for the traditional agent's-last-day thing. Which, from what Bond could tell, wasn't really a thing at all. 

He was supposed to go into the office, drop off the weapons issued to him by MI6 (Q had already restocked his armory with his own set of weapons), shake M's hand, visit Q branch to be wiped from all non-Top Clearance files, and leave that God forsaken place once and for all.

After showering and getting dressed, Bond stalked into the kitchen. Q was fiddling nervously with the kettle.

"Why are you so nervous?" Bond asked, wrapping his arms around Q's waist.

"I'm not nervous," Q shot back.

"Yes, you are."

"It's your last day. Why aren't you nervous?" Q accused.

"Don't think I don't realize that you're changing the subject. I'm not nervous because all of the anxiety that came with resigning from MI6 came last week, when I _actually_ resigned from MI6."

Q rolled his eyes.

"It's a big day," Q said.

"Not really, but if you say so, I will agree because you are incredibly gorgeous," Bond replied.

Q laughed.

"Grab a pancake for the road, and let's go. The car is waiting."


	3. Chapter 3

Q took a deep breath. James' last day. 

Q couldn't figure out why he was so nervous. He figured it was because Bond had thrown so much of his life into MI6, that there needed to be some sort of... ceremony to it.

Actually, the whole office, the whole of MI6 had been acting rather solemn for the last week. IT seemed like it was the end of an era. The last of the old double-oh agents. The last remnant of old-M's reign.

Q hoped Moneypenny wasn't planning a party. Bond wouldn't know what to do with himself. Seriously, put that man in the middle of a casino in Macau or throw him in a backroom poker game in Mississippi, and he could blend in. But put the double-oh agent in anything resembling an MI6 office party, and he would get slightly nauseated.

Bond's first stop and last stop would be Q branch. 

Q and Bond walked down to Q branch side by side, no longer really having to even pretend to hide their relationship (they were both pretty sure that everybody had known and just didn't say anything). 

Q adjusted and readjusted his glasses while Bond unpacked his large weapons case, and an underling quickly documented the contents. One of the Walther PPK's was missing, but nobody said anything. Bond nodded at the underling, and blinked once at Q before turning on his heel and heading up to M's office.


	4. Chapter 4

Eve Moneypenny was sitting behind her intimidating desk, looking as terrifying as ever. She had his martini already made, waiting for him on the edge of her desk.

"Thank you, Moneypenny."

"Always, Agent Bond," she replied with a smile.

"That's Mr. Bond, now," Bond corrected.

"You're never going to be _Mr._ Bond to anyone here," Moneypenny replied.

"For a little while," Bond said, "Then you guys will forget me."

Moneypenny snorted.

"No one is going to _ever_ forget working with you," she laughed, "You should hear the horror stories that I hear."

Bond smiled at her. 

"He's waiting for you," Moneypenny announced.

Bond nodded and stalked into M's office.

"Double-oh Seven," M greeted.

"Not for long, M," Bond returned.

"We're retiring the number."

Bond laughed.

"Like with a football team?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

"Out of all the double-oh agents that I've known, you were the last that I would think to retire alive," M admitted.

"Are you disappointed, M?" Bond asked.

"No."

They stood there for a while.

"You're supposed to shake my hand," Bond prompted.

"Quite right," M replied.

They shook hands.

"Things won't be quieter around here without you," M started, "but they are definitely going to be different."

"Goodbye, M."

"Goodbye, 007."


	5. Chapter 5

Q had been counting the minutes until James came back. He couldn't shake the feeling of nervousness that seemed to permeate his body. Not to mention that all of his staff were completely useless today. They kept glancing up at the door as well.

Seventeen minutes, and Bond was back. Forty-eight seconds before he arrived at Q's desk.

"Hello, Q," he greeted.

"007."

"I am here to close my file."

Q pulled up the relevant files and made Bond confirm his identity with eye recognition scans, palm print recognition, and DNA recognition (with blood). It seemed old fashioned, but MI6 hadn't actually closed a 00 file with a live agent in years.

" _Agent James Bond confirmed. File closed._ ", the computer chirped.

This time it was Bond who seemed to need to take a deep breath.

"Are you ready?" Q asked.

"No," Bond whispered back, "but it seems like it's a bit too late to go back now."

"Let's go," Q breathed.

"Don't you have to work?" Bond asked.

"I took the day off," he replied.

""Then why are you here?" Bond asked.

"Didn't you hear?" Q replied, "A double oh is _retiring_ today."

Bond chuckled.

Q took James Bond by the hand, and they turned around to walk out of Q Branch.

The entire room was standing, looking up at James Bond with respect. 

Q squeezed James' hand. If it had been him, he would have probably teared up, but James was not a double-oh for no reason. 

He nodded once at the Q staff and began to walk out of the branch. The hallway outside was lined with what seemed like the rest of MI6. Everyone was silent and staring at James Bond. Nobody really said anything. Q smiled and realized that MI6 probably knew Bond better than he had thought. Bond would get the message.

The crowd of people stretched all the way through the hall to the lobby and right to the front doors of MI6. Q glanced around for M, but he wasn't expecting to see him. M didn't go for this kind of thing.

Moneypenny was there, though, the last person they would see, standing right next to the door. She was smiling, but she _did_ have tears in her eyes.

"Agent Bond," she greeted, "Q."

"Moneypenny," Bond answered. with a nod.

She held the door open for them. Q wasn't expecting Bond to glance back into the building, but Bond did. 

Q paused and looked back to see what he would do. 

James Bond stood there, in the doorway, and looked at all the people he had worked for and with in the past years all standing solemnly in a salute of respect. He smiled a smile so small that only the people really paying attention would notice it, and he nodded once before turning on his heel and walking out of MI6 forever


	6. Chapter 6

"So what did you think?" Q asked, curled around Bond in bed.

"I'm glad I went."


End file.
